Meadows Family: Uncle Sivoy

I haven't been so faithful to post to our blog or keep up with friends since returning from Bingle Camp for many reasons...temporary loss of Internet, more house guests...but I believe the biggest reason has been Uncle Sivoy! We met Sivoy for the first time when visiting Savoonga last June. He was the 18-year old "youth leader" and was preparing youth for camp when we visited. Upon moving here, he told us he "retired" from the youth group and wouldn't be coming anymore. He came around to visit in March when the director of Bingle Camp stayed with us for a few days. She told him to give us a chance. We didn't see much of him again until the Korean group came. He was really impacted by them and their stories of living lives very similar to his own and then God lifting them out of their self-destructive lifestyles. After the Koreans left, he said, "I used to just pray, 'Now I lay me down to sleep. Amen. But, now I say words and stuff." He came around a lot more and said that he really wanted to know God more and that he felt guilty for doing some of the activities he was doing with his friends and he wanted to stop. We went to Bingle Camp and since returning Uncle Sivoy has joined the family!:) He comes over everyday and for the past several days, he has come before breakfast and left just before we go to bed! I spent a few hours teaching him how to play the piano and within 24 hours he was playing the melody to his favorite praise song. He's very excited about studying the Bible and he wants to lead the youth and help them to know Jesus as he now does. It's such a blessing to see someone excited to live out his faith.